A Ukrainian special envoy has returned home with limited success after failing to secure South Korea’s commitment to provide weapons, as Seoul remains cautious amid geopolitical uncertainties surrounding a second Donald Trump administration.
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Last Wednesday, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov led a Ukrainian delegation to Seoul, where they met South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik and Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
While both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in monitoring North Korea’s military ties with Russia – including troop movements related to the war in Ukraine and technology exchanges – Ukraine’s request for weaponry remained unmet.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted on Friday that South Korea had provided US$100 million in aid, marking the first instance of such support. This follows a US$2.1 billion concessional loan agreement signed in April, set to be disbursed to Ukraine between 2024 and 2029.
Despite these developments, South Korea has yet to respond to Kyiv’s long-standing requests for air defence missiles, artillery shells and other weapons.
“It’s not the first time Ukraine has expressed its wish to purchase South Korea’s Cheongung anti-air missiles and 155-millimetre artillery shells,” a source familiar with the matter told This Week in Asia.